Monday, October 15, 2018

James Kenyon’s Book about Growing Up in on Farm in Northwest Kansas Selected for Martin Kansas History Book Award

Salina,
KS – At the Kansas Authors Club annual convention on October 6, A Cow for College and Other Stories of 1950s Farm Life, by James Kenyon, Bogue
native, was selected for the Martin Kansas History Book Award. Of the book, judge
Karen Kolavalli wrote, “James
Kenyon’s memoirbrings to life a
time and place that may be familiar to many readers, but at the same time
introduces stories of 1950s Kansas farm life to a broader audience. Speaking as
young Jimmy, Kenyon skillfully and with great heart tells stories, both
humorous and poignant, of being a farm boy—starting as a 3-year-old heading out
on the tractor every day with his dad, baseball games at recess at his country
school, raising a Hereford calf each year in 4-H, experiencing that first kiss,
the heartbreak of losing a dog or cow, and many more. A Cow for Collegeadds
to our understanding and appreciation of mid-20th century life in
rural western Kansas.”

James Kenyon

Kenyon was born and raised
on a third-generation family grain and livestock farm near the town of Bogue,
Kansas. A graduate of Kansas State University, Kenyon is a veterinarian in a
35-year, mixed animal practice in Iowa and a veterinarian for the Alaska
Iditarod Dog Sled Race. Some might consider A
Cow for College, Kenyon’s second book, a series of origin stories for a man
who has devoted his career to caring for animals and building his community. As
well as a writer, he is a 24-year member of his local school board and a leader
in numerous community organizations such as Rotary, church, library, museums
and the historical society.

About the Martin Kansas History Book Award:
The
award was named in 2018 as a tribute to Gail Lee Martin, who was Kansas Authors Club State
Archivist from 1995-2005. Gail Lee Martin joined the Club in 1992
and was a member of District 5. Martin enjoyed writing fiction, nonfiction,
stories for children, journalism, history, and poetry. Martin’s work was
published in numerous magazines. She also published two books: Clyde Owen Martin Family Memories of His
Life and Times, and My Flint Hills
Childhood, which was a winner of the Ferguson Kansas History Book Award in
2010. The funding for the Martin Kansas History Book Award comes from the Gail
Lee Martin Memorial established in her name. This book award is open
exclusively for Kansas history.